General Information

Public Perception and Awareness

This report is being presented in response to several requests fielded
from our members over the last few months. By presenting this report
we hope to not only educate and enlighten our members, but the public
at large as well.

What is the Ontario Confederation of Clubs, and what should it mean to
me? Simply put, the Confederation is a coming together of many diverse
individuals and groups, uniting in one voice to support the interests
of motorcyclists in the Province of Ontario. It sounds simple but yet
it is unprecedented. For too long a number of very capable groups have
pursued the goals we all share with mixed results. Because these
groups often did not communicate or even know of each others
existence, there was no real coordination of movement in dealing with
issues. The Confederation was born three years ago from this
necessity. A united voice representing, to date, over 3000 riders in
24 different clubs.

These riders come from all walks of life, age groups, social and
economic background and experiences. There is no discrimination, as we
do not favor or endorse any brand of motorcycle, lifestyle or code of
dress. We are not a club ourselves, but individuals from a wide range
of occupations and interests that have come together to better the
pursuit that we love most. Motorcycles. We are a democratic
self-governing group, as each member club carries one vote. The actual
number of members that constitute an individual club does not matter.
One club, one vote. We are a not for profit organization and rely on
the annual membership dues and various fundraising activities for
financial support. We carry very close ties to the Aid to Injured
Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) program, the National Coalition of
Motorcyclists (N.C.O.M.) and experienced lawyers generously helping
us, (Jeffery Chapnick and Associates) of Toronto and are gaining
friends in the political arena. We are however not singularly a
political action group.

What should this mean to the rider who is a non-member, or to the
general public? Government and big business has been eroding the
rights of the average Canadian for a number of years, and the trend is
becoming more intensified. All Canadians must remember that the
government is elected by the voter, to serve the voter. Big business,
vehicles must realize that the consumer has a voice also. The right to
freedom of movement in our country without repression or fear is not
only enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also is a
belief that many Canadians have fought and died for on a worldwide
stage. Motorcycle riders are a visible minority, and easily targeted
by law enforcement agencies. We believe that we should be afforded the
same liberties and rights as any other Canadian citizen. We should not
have to surrender or revoke these rights because of our preferred
method of transportation.

The Ontario Confederation of Clubs will take a stand on these issues
and more. We are also determined to change the public perception of
motorcyclists through our Annual Awareness Rally and through
prescribed and acceptable legal avenues if necessary. Because the
Confederation contains no real leaders, all internal politics and egos
are left at the door. This is unprecedented and the key to our growing
numbers. As we learn to accept and recognize each other and our
diverse points of view, we only become stronger as a group. We, and
the society in which we all live, benefits.

How successful have we been to date? In barely three years since our
birth we have created a constitutional amendment which bars police
from interrupting your mobility rights, i.e., roadblocks, and
restricting undue and arbitrary harassment. Write for a copy of our
Judicial committees update titled " Roadblocks ". We will be sitting
in with the new MegaCity council to ensure that motorcyclists are
permitted to use HOV or Diamond lanes. Talks are ongoing with the
Ministry of Transportation to revise the Highway Traffic Act to obtain
a more easily recognized and acceptable method of measuring handlebar
height. Our Queens Park Rally last year collected two cargo vans of
food for the flood victims in Manitoba, a pretty mean feat considering
most attendees were on motorcycles. There are current talks ongoing
with the Ontario Insurance Commission to reclassify motorcycles from
their current recreational vehicle status and put them in the same
category as other motor vehicles that use our thoroughfares.

This is a brief list of some of our accomplishments, but our biggest
success cannot be found in amendments and legislation. It is the
coming together and joining of not only motorcyclists, but of
concerned citizens from all walks of life who have taken an interest
in our mandate in the Province of Ontario.

People like yourself, who have taken the time to read this and
hopefully gained a greater understanding of who we are and what we
strive to achieve.